Fantasy for the Rest of Us

RE-RUNS: Parenting Roulette

Here at Shafer Haus we are in the throes of preparing to move, which means my time for blogging is nil. To compensate, I’m doing a Myndi’s Blog Best-Of (Kinda). Everyone loves a good re-run, right?

••• ••• •••

This week our oldest child starts Junior High. His dad and I are WAAAY more nervous about this transition than he is. In fact, while I’m applying Caladryl to my outbreak of nervous hives, he’s downright chill about the whole thing.

Last Monday was our school’s open house – a chance to meet all the teachers, and get Willy’s locker combination, and – since our school rocks – eat ice cream. Unfortunately, Little Miss Took was feeling under the weather, so T and I had to divide our parenting responsibilities – one of us would take the boys to school, while the other stayed home with the girls.

The Hubster chose the girls, and I went with the boys.

Now, here’s the thing. When you have as many kids (and pets) as we do, there’s a pretty good chance that at any given moment something out of the ordinary is about to happen. Like, dogs trying to eat turtles. Or a kid deciding that ink would work really great as lipstick. Or a toilet overflowing because, apparently, every now and then children are capable of dropping deuces that could compete with rhino droppings in both girth and weight.

Just keeping it real, people.

Since, on this particular evening, we split the kids between us 50/50, the odds of something strange/unfortunate/humorous were also split 50/50. It could have been my night to deal with hijinks, it could have been T’s. Parenting roulette, savvy?

That night the hijinks fell to T.

You haven’t truly walked the path of parenthood until you’ve had to go fishing for your kid’s poo in the soapy drink.

While I’m more than glad it wasn’t me who had to deal with Little Miss Took’s swimming deuce, I’m well aware that it’s only a matter of time until I draw the short straw. I wonder what it will be? Skinned knees? Bee sting? Or something more exotic, like the irreversible horror of swallowing a bug? *shrug* Whatever. After four kids, there’s not much that can take me by surprise. In fact, why don’t you pass me the wine and I’ll make a toast.

*raises glass*

To this moment. This moment, right now, when nothing weird or stinky or sticky or scary or extraordinary is happening. This moment, when my all my kids are content, all my pets are alive, and all is well in the realm of Shafer. I love this moment. I will live in this moment.